A magical bittersweet musical fantasy
of foxes and humans. In some ways it reminded me of a Japanese period Gilbert
& Sullivan with many characters taking on singing roles, a couple in
love and a corrupt comical official standing between them. The folktales
of fox spirits are prevalent in Asia - first beginning in China - Pu Songling's
Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio had many such tales. The foxes are called
huli jing - and then the myth spread to Japan and Korea. In these tales the
fox is a shapeshifter and can take on human form and often falls in love
with a human or seduces the human. Referred to as trickster foxes. In Japan
they are called Kitsune and they can either be evil or good; sometimes protectors
and faithful. In this film they are playful and love to dance and sing. The
females all taking human form and adorned in kimonos. In the opening scene
they come out of their hut and sing "Come out little fox and dance" led by
their leader Okon. Okon is played by the great Hibari Misora, the greatest
entertainer in Japan from the post-war era to the 1960s. Sort of a Shirley
Temple/Judy Garland of Japan as first a child star and later an adult one.
Okon and her fellow foxettes or vixens live a fairly carefree life in the
forest up on a mountain. In the film they never revert to their fox form
but take on various human forms when needed. There seem to be very few male
foxes about which may explain where this story goes. Her young brother has
been captured by humans who are singing "Shall we grill him, cook him, skin
him or stew him". But they have to wait till he takes on his fox form before
they kill him. In the meantime, Okon takes on the form of a male cook and
tricks them into letting her rescue him. The humans give chase, but she tricks
them left and right - all while singing.
On her way back though, Okon falls into a deep fox trap and is unable to
get out until Onokichi, a kindly woodcutter - who also sings - pulls her
up though he realizes she is a fox. She also looks just like his fiancé
Okiku. She asks him what she can do as a thanks - just a fox dance please
and she complies. The two of them become fast friends with her making him
lunch on most days and falling in love with him. Trouble shows up in the
form of the Deputy who wants Okiku as his concubine and the trees on the
forest for money. He sings too. Fortunately, Onokichi has foxes as friends.
Very light and delightful with a lot of singing, nicely shot by director
Kunio Watanabe, who worked with Hibari a number of times.
